Following a car accident that injured two pedestrians on Main Street in Morehead on Wednesday night, authorities are highlighting the importance of being aware behind the wheel.
Derrick Blevins, Morehead Chief of Police, said cars come with lots of different distractions, which makes it even more important to stay alert when driving through areas where pedestrians are likely to be.
“There’s a lot of distractions inside those vehicles, the radio, your cell phone, there’s a lot of things that can distract you, and the big thing is you’ve just got to pay attention. Sometimes pedestrians, when they decide to cross the street at a crosswalk, especially at night when it’s raining, you’ve just got to make sure that you’re alert and you’re paying attention and ready for something like that,” said Blevins.
The police chief said all crosswalks in the downtown area are up-to-code, well-lit, and have clear signage. However, with so many of them on Main Street, Blevins said it’s important to remember the rules of the road.
“Whatever reason we’ve got people not paying attention, and we’ve had, over the last couple of days, we’ve had officers down there trying to watch and stop cars for people failing to yield to pedestrians. But I know people are concerned about it, probably need a little better campaign of making sure people are paying attention,” said Blevins.
The police chief said everyone has a duty to stay vigilant and work to keep others safe when traveling through the downtown area.
In regard to the pedestrian-involved crash Wednesday, Blevins said neither impairment nor speed is thought to be a factor at this time.